January 2024

Welcome to the first day of product reveals for our new Love Letters P.S. Collection! I’m excited about all of the fun new things we have to show you! We’ll have two days of product reveals, projects, and blog hops before the new products go up in the shop on Friday, January 19 at 10am EST!

Our Love Letters P.S. collection is filled with all sorts of things inspired by the ways we write and communicate…postal and letter inspired products, pretty pens, typewriters, calligraphy and more. I had so much fun designing this collection!

Below is a quick look at the new products being showcased today. Click on the links below each product heading for more details and information (sentiments, measurements, etc.), or click HERE to see all of the new products in the shop. (**Please Note: although you can preview the new products in the shop, they will not be available to add to cart or purchase until 10am EST on Friday, January 19).

Four Square Valentine Tags stamp set and die

We introduced our Four Square Tags concept back in November, and now we have a Valentine set to coordinate with the Four Square Tags die. There is also a coordinating die that will allow you to cut out several of the sentiments from the set. The sentiments are sized to fit nicely on the Four Square Tags, but of course you can use them on cards and other projects as well!

Click HERE for Four Square Valentine Tags stamp set info ($16)
Click HERE for Four Square Valentine Tag Elements die info ($20)

Sent With Love die, Sent With Love Sentiments stamp set and Sentiments die

Our Sent With Love product suite features all the little things near and dear to a paper-craft loving heart! Tiny envelopes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, a wood-handled stamp and wax seal, tiny labels, postage stamps, scissors, and more. It’s the sweetest set for creating mail-inspired projects with year-round applications. The sentiment stamp set covers a variety of occasions, and the matching sentiment die cuts the two script words “sent” and “sending” from the stamp set. If you loved our Wrapped in Love set, you’ll love this one too!

Click HERE for Sent With Love die info ($32)
Click HERE for Sent With Love Sentiments stamp set info ($8)
Click HERE for Sent With Love Sentiments die info ($4)

Flourished Phrases LOVE stencil, die and Sentiment Additions stamp set

Big, bold, and beautiful, say it with a bit of flourish with the new Flourished Phrases Love product suite. The suite includes a three-step stencil set that features a large-scale “Love” word with a pretty shadow effect and lots of flourishes. The coordinating die can be used to cut out the stenciled word. The sentiment additions stamp set includes coordinating phrases that can be combined with the word Love.

Click HERE for Flourished Phrases Love stencil info ($12)
Click HERE for Flourished Phrases Love die info ($24)
Click HERE for Flourished Phrases Love Additions stamp set info ($8)

Flourished Phrases HELLO stencil, die and Sentiment Additions stamp set

Just like the Flourished Phrases Love suite introduced above, we are featuring the word HELLO in the same gorgeous font, perfect for everyday cards and greetings. The Sentiment Additions stamp set includes additional phrases to pair with the “hello” for lots of different every day occasions.

Click HERE for Flourished Phrases Hello stencil info ($12)
Click HERE for Flourished Phrases Hello die info ($24)
Click HERE for Flourished Phrases Hello Additions stamp set info ($8)

Postal Modern stamp set & die

I always have a soft spot for postal-inspired images! Our new Postal Modern set features images and sentiments inspired by vintage postal elements, yet with a modern feel. There’s a great mix of sentiments and a few postage stamp-like images!

Click HERE for Postal Modern stamp set info ($16)
Click HERE for Postal Modern die info ($25)

Postcard Details Pierce Plate + Airmail Border Stencil

To round out our postal theme, we have a few more postal-inspired items! The Postcard Details pierce plate adds postcard details to an A2 panel (and coordinates with our Postal Modern stamp set). Use this Pierce Plate on traditional card fronts, use it to create actual postcards. Our Airmail Border stencil is a quick and easy way to add a two-color striped border to an A2 panel.

Click HERE for Postcard Details Pierce Plate info ($22)
Click HERE for Airmail Border stencil info ($9)

Angelica is joining us on our Youtube channel today with a video showcasing the new Flourished Phrases products and the new Airmail Border stencil…

I’m so excited to share some projects with you using today’s new product introductions!

Up first? A whole bunch of valentine tags using the new Four Square Valentine Tags stamp set and matching die, along with the previously released Four Square Tags die. These are fun and easy to put together! For a recap of how our Four Square Tags die works, check out this video. I’m showing our holiday stamps in the video, but the concept is the same for our Valentine set!

• Keep it simple, or step it up by incorporating layers by using the matching Four Square Valentine Tag Elements die.
• The pink and red tags were made by simply stamping directly onto the tags. I added just a few diecut hearts, but kept them very simiple for a set of quick and easy tags.
• The blue and red tags incorporate more layers by using the Four Square Valentine Tag Elements die paired with the matching stamp set. I also incorporated a few diecut envelopes, etc from our new Sent With Love die.
• The sunburst heart image is great for creating shaker tags. For mine here, I diecut the heart from the center of the stamped image (using the Four Square Valentine Tag Elements die), backed it with acetate and layered it over a Four Square Tag, capturing some Heart Bits inside and sealing it around the edges with foam tape.
• Layering two tags and tying them together is a great way to add a place for a to/from sentiment.

Up next I have a couple of sets of postcards. One is Valentine themed using our Flourished Phrases Love stencil and stamps, and the other is perfect for any time of year using our Flourished Phrases Hello stencil and stamps.

First up, the Valentine version. Super sweet, filled with love, and ready to drop in the mail!

• The Postcard Details Pierce Plate is great for making actual postcards. Here are a few tips…
• Create your postcards from two sheets of cardstock adhered together back-to-back. Use the Postcard Details plate to add the details to one panel, then back it with the second plain panel which will be the “front” or side of the postcard with your design (stamping/stenciling/etc).
• Avoid using two layers of really heavy cardstock since there is a limit on how thick postcards can be. You should be ok using 80lb or less.
• When adhering the two panels back-to-back, take care to add adhesive around the flourish and detail cuts from the Postcard Details pierce plate, making sure they are adhered securely so your postcard won’t get caught up in the postal processing machines.
• The Postcard Details Pierce Plate postage stamp area is sized to fit the special edition USPS stamps (these stamps are typically approx .9″ x 1.2″). Many times there are seasonal stamps in this size, so perfect for coordinating with your design like the ones I used here!
• Avoid using diecuts on your postcards – stick to single-layer stamped or stenciled designs.

Additional project notes…

• On a few of these valentine postcards I masked off the “o” in Love and replaced it with a heart. I made my own heart stencil using the heart die from the Four Square Valentine Tag Elements die.
• Add additional details like dots and lines to the stenciled letters using a white pen.

Up next is the everyday version using the Flourished Phrases Hello stencil and matching Sentiment Additions stamp set…

• Embellish the design even further with your favorite floral stamps or stencils. I used the Takes the Cake stamp + stencil set here and just stenciled/stamped a few blooms and leaves, nestling them among the flourishes.
• I bent/curved the sentiments from the Flourished Phrases Hello Additions stamp set when attaching them to my stamping block so they fit nicely above the large Hello sentiment and made the design flow nicely!
• After stenciling the letter portion of the design, leave your stencil in place and use a colored pencil to trace the outline of the letters to add more definition and depth to the letters. Ombre shading/inking also contributes to this!
• Use a corner rounder punch to round the corners of your postcards.

Up next I have a few more Flourished Phrases projects. First is this Valentine card using Flourished Phrases Love stencil, die, and Sentiments stamps.

• The Postcard Details Pierce Plate is fun for making postcards, but it’s a great background for regular cards with a postcard vibe. I used it here as a fun background.
• The Airmail Border stencil easily creates a two-color striped border, but you can add even more color – here I used small sponges and four ink colors, sponging two colors on each stencil (every other stripe).
• Stack up some small envelops from our Sent With Love die for a fun accent.
• The images (postage stamps, postcard label, etc) from the Postal Modern set coordinate with the Postcard Details plate.

This next card again uses Flourished Phrases Love, this time for a wedding card. My wedding card stash is in need, and this set is perfect.

• Stencil that big beautiful “Love” sentiment in the couple’s wedding colors for a personalized touch. Great for bridal showers, too!
• The coordinating Flourished Phrases Love die lets you add more dimension to your design.
• Layer the word over some floral or foliage diecuts. Here I used the leaves from our BotaniCuts: Rose die – these leaves are some of my all-time favorites!
• Add some sparkle by adding Stickles to the flourishes and diecuts.
• The “hand-stamped for you” seal from the Postal Modern set is great for stamping onto envelope flaps or the backs of cards.

Next a card using the Flourished Phrases Hello suite, including the die, which gives you lots of options for adding dimension to your design.

• The Flourished Phrases Hello die includes individual letters for the word (the “Love” one includes individual letters as well). I used them here (cut from pink cardstock) and layered then over a darker background for a different look.
• Use embossing paste to stencil the flourishes – white opaque on a dark background is so striking!
• The medium-sized rectangle from our Nordic Frames die makes for a pretty background behind the word.
• The pretty floral used here is part of our new collection as well. It’s called Graceful Stems and we’ll be sharing more info on that tomorrow!

Next I have several projects that feature the new Sent With Love die, stamp set, and Sentiment die. If you loved our Wrapped in Love set that was part of our holiday release, you’ll love this mail-themed set that has a similar vibe!

• Attach the two scissor pieces with a tiny brad (we carry them in the shop here) for a working/interactive element!
• Diecut some of the details like the scissors, wax seals, and fountain pen details from metallic cardstock for a realistic touch.
• If you haven’t checked it out yet, I would highly recommend the Precision Glue Press from My Sweet Petunia. It’s become an essential tool for me when working with small diecuts like these in our Sent With Love set.
• This card was inspired by a similar card I made (see it here) using our Wrapped In Love set. Our Halfsies Diamond die is perfect for this design, allowing you to fill the outer edges with the diecuts and place a sentiment in the center.
• The happy mail sentiment I used here is from a new set call Scripted Sentiments that we’ll be showcasing tomorrow!
• The sentiments and images in the Postal Modern stamp set are great for creating subtle background details. Stamp them in pale ink colors like light gray, cream, etc. They provide some interest and depth, but don’t distract from the other elements.

My next card is a birthday card using the new Sent With Love die, Sentiments stamp set, and Sentiment die.

• Create an elegant look by diecutting the envelopes and other elements from the Sent With Love set in a mix of neutral shades like white, cream, kraft, and soft pink. A little metallic gold cardstock adds just the right amount of pop!
• The Postal Frames die (which was part of our original Love Letters collection) is perfect for pairing with the new Love Letters P.S. collection.
• The postal cancellation and lined stamps from the Postal Modern set are fun for adding subtle interest to backgrounds. Stamp them anywhere for a fun postal touch!
• The Sent With Love Sentiments stamp set has sentiments for many different occasions. You could use this design for lots of different occasions just by swapping out the sentiment.

When I was diecutting all of those cute little elements using the Sent With Love die, I just couldn’t stop! I wanted to cut all of those tiny envelopes from allll the colors. So I have a ton of them to work with and had fun building a collage of elements on this next card.

• For a vintage vibe, stamp some of the envelopes with patterns. The envelope with the text here was stamped using our Seed Catalog Background stamp. The striped envelope was stamped using the stripe image from the new Postal Modern set.
• The striped stamp from the Postal Modern set almost looks like washi tape – I stamped it twice in the upper left corner here to resemble tape.
• The pretty floral diecut in the background is called Graceful Stems and we’ll be sharing more info on that in tomorrow’s post!
• Once again here I used a tiny brad to connect the two pieces of the scissors.

I have one more Sent With Love card for you…this one with a bright and fun Valentine theme!

• The smaller postage-stamp frame from our Postal Frames die makes a great background for the Sent With Love set.
• The Sent With Love Sentiments stamp set also includes a few images that coordinate with the Sent With Love die – there are tiny heart postage stamps that can be stamped onto the postage stamp diecuts as well as a dotted envelope liner for the open envelope from the set.
• Add hearts to the envelope “flaps” for a fun touch. These were cut with the tiny heart included in the Sent With Love die.
• Create a two-toned scissors by dicutting the scissors from gold and black cardstock. Snip the blades off of the black diecuts and layer them over the gold pieces as a base.

One last and final card from me today before we head out to the Team blogs! I loooove vintage-y postal things and wanted to pile up the images from the new Postal Modern set on this next card.

• The Postcard Details Pierce Plate makes a wonderful starting point for my vintage postal-themed card.
• The post card label, postage stamp sentiment, corners, and other postal details used here are all from the new Postal Modern stamp set.
• When using the Airmail Border stencil you don’t always need to stencil the whole border. Here I used just one side (the left edge) for a subtle accent.
• I stamped a few stems from the Lovely Silhouettes set under my Graceful Stems floral diecut (more on this die tomorrow!), which adds depth to my design.
• The Just a Note sentiment is from a new set called Scripted Sentiments that we’ll be showcasing tomorrow.

Youtube Live!

Before we get to the blog hop details, just a heads up that Laurie will be hosting a Youtube Live tomorrow evening via our Youtube channel. Join Laurie on Thursday, January 18 at 7pm CST/8pm EST where she’ll be showcasing all of the new products from our Love Letters P.S. collection. Join us if you’d like to see everything up close! *Note the change of platforms…she’ll be hosting on Youtube instead of Instagram.

Inspiration Team Blog Hop & Giveaway

Now that you’ve gotten to meet all of today’s new products and see them in action on my projects, you can hop along to see more projects from the Inspiration Team!

We’ll be giving away TWO $50 gift cards for today’s blog hop.

Read on for details…

• Comment here on the blog for one entry (one comment per person).
• Comment on our Inspiration Team Members’ blogs for more entries (linked below – one comment per person, per blog)
• Comments close Thursday, January 18 at 11:59pm EST
• Winners will be posted at 7am EST on Friday, January 19 here on the blog

Now for more the team blog links…